HoMY 24: My Jesus I Love Thee

Sunday morning brings a new entry in my series “Then Sings My Soul: The Hymns of My Youth.” (Click through to the index to the whole series.) This week I’ve selected “My Jesus, I Love Thee, one of those hymns that when performed well, can be stunningly beautiful. I searched for a video of it, and found some prepackaged contemporary over-produced ones… which just don’t do justice to the hymn. On the other hand, in some amateur poorly produced ones, there’s a serene beauty that remains. The hymn is from a poem written in 1864 by William Ralph Featherston, then just 16 years of age. Adon­iram Gor­don set it to music in 1876. This particular hymn — which I can’t help but hum in my mind as I review it — has the wonderful theme of vows taken in response to the recognition of love in the actions of another. And of a promise believed, looking forward to singing a new song. Sorry, I tend to get a bit lyrical with some of these, when I should allow the lyrics to speak for themselves.